Abstract: A character display device and method therefor are adapted to obtain a proximal reference point of each character comprising a character series and calculate display coordinates of each character from said proximal reference point and the display angle and display reference position of the character series.

Abstract: A map information display device for a displacement body is provided with a position detection section (23) detecting a present position of a displacement body based on an output of a speed sensor (22) which detects a speed of a displacement body or a gyro (21) which detects a bearing of a displacement body or the like, a map memory (25) which stores map data and a display section (27) which displays a present position of a displacement body detected by said position detection section (23) and a map image based on map data read from a map memory (25). Display of a map image in accord with the requirements of the driver is enabled without a complicated operation by varying a map mode when displaying a map screen on the display section depending on a display state of a map on the display section or an operational state of the displacement body.

Abstract: A character display device and method therefor are adapted to obtain a proximal reference point of each character comprising a character series and calculate display coordinates of each character from said proximal reference point and the display angle and display reference position of the character series.

Abstract: A traffic navigation apparatus installed on a vehicle has a record of map data of maps which covers at least the moving range of the vehicle. The apparatus detects the current vehicle position. The user sets places to be by-passed and the destination on a displayed map. The apparatus seeks a recommendable route which connects the current position and the destination by by-passing the specified avoidance places. The apparatus permits the avoidance regions to be input by various data inputs including by inputting the telephone number or a postal zip code of the region to be avoided. It then displays a recommendable route on the map which avoids the avoidance region provided the increase of distance as compared to not avoiding the avoidance region is not more than a specified value. Otherwise it displays a recommended route which includes the avoidance region in relation with the current vehicle position.

Abstract: In a mobile navigation system of the present invention, a route between two desired points can be easily recognized on any scale. The mobile navigation system includes a CD-ROM for storing map data therein, an operation panel on which a user performs operations, a vehicle position detecting unit for detecting a vehicle position, a CRT display for displaying a map image thereon together with route marks and a vehicle position mark, and a navigation controller for searching the most suitable guidance route from a departure spot to a destination. When a detailed map and a wide-area map are used, routes are respectively displayed by different methods by displaying large route marks in the detailed map and displaying small route marks in the wide-area map.

Abstract: There is provided a map information display apparatus comprising a control unit, responsive to a signal informing that a predetermined area on a display unit has been indicated, for switching a display from a state of displaying a single map image on the screen in scroll mode in which the center of the map image constantly shows the current position of the vehicle detected by a position detecting unit and the map image is scrolled as the vehicle travels to a state of displaying a first map image with the same scale as the single map image which has been displayed on the screen in a base screen region and a second map image with a scale in a window screen region. Furthermore, touching an area of the base or window screen region switches the display into single display mode.